


the sacrificial lamb

by Ford_Ye_Fiji



Series: and love will be your teacher [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, HUGS FOR BABY ZUKO, Hurt/Comfort, I know I know Iroh didn't get back to the fire nation that fast, Iroh is so good, Ozai is such trash, Ursa is present but uhh she don’t do much, ish, just let me dream okay, neither does Azula and Ozai tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 22:34:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20937842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ford_Ye_Fiji/pseuds/Ford_Ye_Fiji
Summary: Zuko is eleven when he realizes his father doesn’t love him....Azulon does not conveniently die.





	the sacrificial lamb

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [suffer the pain of losing your firstborn](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16964727) by [TheTartWitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTartWitch/pseuds/TheTartWitch). 

> I was halfway through writing this, realized where it was going and then realized that the ending was kinda like a fanfic I’d read already so uh I’m linking it just in case and also because it’s amazing XD 
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/16964727

Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation, is eleven years old when he discovers that his father doesn’t love him. 

He is in bed, breath hissing out sharply through his teeth. He puts his hands against his ears and huddles under the blankets, terrified, whispering frantically to himself in an attempt to reassure, "Azula always lies, Azula always lies,  _Azula always lies!_ " 

His heart hammers against his ribs and he swears, he swears that everything will be alright. His father wouldn’t kill him. His father was brave and powerful! The greatest firebender ever! And he loved him! 

So why couldn’t he calm down? 

He sits and waits and whispers and...

And they come for him in the morning. 

Zuko didn’t remember falling asleep, but he remembers the doors opening with a flourish, six of the palace guards standing sternly before him. He rubs his eyes sleepily and sits up. The one in the lead steps forward, giving him a half bow, "Prince Zuko. The Fire Lord requires an audience with you."

Zuko swallows, "Grandfather- I mean, Fire Lord Azulon? Will... will father be there?" 

The guards remain impassive, staring him. He can’t help but remember Azula's cruel smile. He moves over to the edge of the bed, swallowing nervously. 

His nursemaid shoves past the guards, glaring at them, "Oh spirits! He’s just a boy!" 

She kneels by his bed, smiling up at him, eyes suspiciously wet, "Oh Zuko. Let me help you with that." 

He nods mutely, golden eyes wide, his almost defeated lisp once again clinging to his words in the face of fear, "What's going on?" He’s too scared to demand answers. A prince shouldn’t be scared, his father would be ashamed of him for this weakness, but he can’t help it. 

"Oh, just... just some silly grownup things. Prince Ozai will be there, don't you worry."

Zuko nods numbly and follows her lead. 

Unfortunately, she can’t follow him into the chambers where his grandfather is. He hasn’t seen his mother yet and he’s so _scared_. Swallowing back his fear and adjusting his itchy uncomfortable robes for the last time, he enters the room. 

Uncle Iroh stands at his grandfather's right, face cast in shadow. (When had Uncle Iroh come home?) To the Fire Lord's left is his father, mother, and Azula, whose shark-like grin pins him in place like a bug or the Turtleducks that she liked to pluck for fun. 

He bows low, head to the floor. He rises at the indication and nervously looks between the two groups. His father won’t meet his eyes. His mother is pale as a sheet and trembling. Iroh stands stiffly. 

Zuko doesn’t know why he’s here. He waits for the Fire Lord to address him, but everyone is curiously silent. After another tortuous minute of waiting he blurts, "Grandfather- why- why are we here?" 

His father meets his eyes and they burn with anger. Oh, and Zuko stutters, bowing again, "I- I mean mean, Fire Lord-“ 

Azulon lifts a hand, words sharp as steel and just as stern, "Prince Zuko, you are here because of the sins of your father. I want you to understand that." 

Zuko blinks, utterly confused, "Yes, Fire Lord."

A tear spills down his mother's cheek. Azula's grin widens like a snake. Azulon gestures and the two guards at the door come up to flank him. Zuko looks at them, mouth going dry. He doesn’t know what’s going on! 

Azula always lies. 

Doesn’t she?

They place their hands on his shoulder. Zuko tears his eyes away from the suddenly terrifying soldiers and asks plaintively, forgetting titles and respect, "W- what's going on?"

He winces internally at the unintentional heavy lisp. Father looks furious. 

"Prince Zuko, you are hereby sentenced to death." 

The guards push him to his knees. Zuko can only stare. 

This must be a dream. It has to be. Azula always lies. His mother cries. Father won’t look at him. Uncle Iroh stands stiff and straight.  _The sins of the father._ Zuko's lips tremble. He won’t cry. He won’t. He asks once, plaintively, "F- father?" 

Ozai's lips curl and he stares straight ahead. 

He feels a thin curve of steel at the base of his neck. They mean to do it, here and now. But of course, where else? He’d been summoned for  _this_ , hadn’t he? At least it wasn’t public, at less his country wasn’t there to see him fall. 

Zuko bites his lip and closes his eyes and refuses to cry- to be weak. He won’t let his last act disappoint his father, he _won’t_ dishonor him. 

The blade draws back for the killing blow and- 

"Wait!" 

Zuko opens first one eye and then the other. 

It’s not his father who had spoken. 

Uncle Iroh dares to meet his eyes. He doesn’t look away, "Father, this- this-“ 

Azulon raises an eyebrow, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." 

Iroh shifts, voice firm but respectful, "Ozai did not kill Lu Ten." 

Azulon is quiet, "His slight cannot be forgiven, Iroh. He must lose his firstborn." 

Zuko watches, wide eyed. Iroh glances between the stony-faced Ozai and the openly yet silently weeping Ursa. Azula's excited smile has dropped into a disgusted sneer.

Iroh glances back at Zuko and suddenly he knows, he  _knows_ that his Uncle won’t let him die. There is a certainty there, a promise to both of them. No more sons will die for the fire nation today. 

"Maybe there’s another way." 

Azulon raises an eyebrow, patience wearing thin, "Oh?" 

* * *

Iroh’s hand on his shoulder mirrors the guard's position almost exactly. Except he feels protected this time as his Uncle guides him gently from the room. Once they’re away from the flames, Zuko can finally breathe again. 

He feels like everything is hitting him at once, his body shudders, fingers trembling against his heavy robes. 

Iroh steers him into an empty room, shooing the servants away and closing the door. Zuko stares at the walls. None of it feels real. 

Iron kneels beside him, hands rubbing his arms gently, "Prince Zuko, it’s okay." 

Zuko blinks, and then the tears fall, "I- I-“ he hastily wipes at his eyes, "I’m sorry I know I’m not supposed too- I’m sorry, Uncle-“ 

Iroh shushes him, "Zuko, it’s okay. There is no dishonor in it. You’ve had a very long day." 

Zuko's lip trembles and when Iroh enfolds him into a hug that smells like fire flakes and jasmine tea, he breaks down and cries. Iroh holds him close and let’s him cry. The boy had just been greeted by the morning with a death sentence that had been nearly executed and then hastily pardoned. Just as fast, he’d lost his family. Azulon had said Ozai must lose his firstborn. So Iroh had taken him. 

Prince Zuko was no longer son of Ozai, a distant successor to the throne, he was now Crown Prince Zuko, future Fire Lord after Iroh. 

It might’ve been a step up in the world, if it wasn’t for the circumstances in which it had occurred.

The boy's sobs petered out, but Zuko stayed, feeling too safe in his uncle's embrace, "Is... why... why did grandfather...? What did I do?" 

Iroh drew back to look into his nephew's golden eyes, "Zuko, you did nothing wrong. Do you understand me? Your father, he greatly angered Azulon. You did not deserve to die." 

Zuko seemed bewildered, "But- I-" 

Iroh shook his head, "Zuko, you must understand. You are _not_ at fault." 

Zuko shuddered and then finally he spoke, changing the subject, "I- I’m sorry about Lu Ten, Uncle. Father told me yesterday." He looked up at his uncle, "I miss him." 

Iroh choked on a half hysterical and peculiarly ironic laugh, "_Zuko_." 

Zuko didn’t know why Iroh's eyes were wet, "Oh, Zuko." He pulled him close, a hand cradling his head, "Your father did not deserve you." 

At least that might be remedied now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Three atla fics in a day I think I’m on a roll XD 
> 
> My tumblr is here: https://ford-ye-fiji.tumblr.com/


End file.
